A variety of cloud based services provided for different kinds of client organization processes is increasing. At the same time the information management of the dynamic business networks, including tasks and dependencies with time constraints become more difficult. For example, in manufacturing industry a trend for outsourcing and focusing on core competencies has evolved complex networked value chains.
Traditional information systems (like enterprise resource planning systems and product data management systems) are hence developing additional features (portals, extranets, working spaces etc.) to match the needs of this networked economy. This however creates a vast variety of hierarchical (every company has their own different systems) co-operation systems with scattered information and lack of transparency.
Currently co-operation tools provide different kinds of tools for individuals to create and provide input data to various systems.
However, current co-operation and information sharing systems are typically serving only a main company and service information is distributed downwards in hierarchy. From supplier's point of view this means that the shared information is scattered to different systems (e.g. different extranets, portals, working spaces which different customers use and they have to sign in). Another drawback of existing systems is the distinction of information shared to you (in customers' sharing systems like their portals and extranets) and information shared by you (in your sharing systems) that causes separate working spaces for information management with no combining view for all shared information in different business relations (customers, suppliers, units from same group and other partners).
Thus, there is a need for a dynamic business network and data management service system for a company as a center of its own network and information attached to its business relationships.